


Christmas In The Summer Sun

by One_Small_Writer



Category: Dance Academy (TV 2010)
Genre: Barbecue, Christmas, Christmas Party, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28206576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/One_Small_Writer/pseuds/One_Small_Writer
Summary: The gan reunites on their favourite hill for a little Christmas get together.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Christmas In The Summer Sun

**Author's Note:**

> A love letter to my Australian Christmases because there's only so much snow a person who's never seen snow can write about.

Upon the group leaving the academy, everyone made an agreement to find time to do a big meet up a few times a year. They were all in all sorts of places around the world, dancing and acting and teaching, but they made sure no matter what to find their way back home at least twice a year, back to Sydney and each other.

One of those times, Christmas. With everyone already coming home for the holiday it was the easiest time for them all to meet up so in the days before Christmas the Whatsapp chat they had boomed as they organized a meet up on their favourite hill, times and who was bringing what, as well as a kris kringle organized by Kat.

And so on the 20th of December, everyone met for a barbeque lunch.

“Tara!” Kat squealed as she caught sight of her best friend, who had arrived the earliest due to the fact she lived a mere five-minute walk away, standing beside Christian at the public barbeque as he fried sausages. She’d only been in Australia for three days, having flown in from New York late Wednesday night, and hadn’t had much time to do anything rather than sleep and deal with heckling from her parents.

Tara whipped herself around, beaming when she saw Kat. “Kat!” She squealed back, opening her arms as Kat came running for her, slamming into her with such force that Tara was knocked back into Christian’s arm. They hugged each other tightly, whispering ‘Oh my God’ and ‘I’ve missed you’ over and over despite knowing that it’d never quite convey just how they were feeling until Christian interrupted them.

“You haven’t seen me in just as long as you haven’t seen her, where’s my hug?”

The girls broke apart as they dissolved into giggles and Kat rolled her eyes, reaching over to hug Christian. “Hi Christian, good to see you,” She laughed, smiling as she felt him do the same.

They pulled apart after a few seconds and Kat slung the cooler bag hanging off her shoulder onto the floor. “I’ve brought Coles brand coleslaw and potato salad, everyone’s favourite, and I’ve blessed you all with cupcakes I made yesterday, the only productive thing I’ve done since I got here, so you’re welcome,” She said, unzipping the bag to put them on the picnic blanket.

“Great,” Tara said, “Last time I checked Abi was bringing salad and Ollie was bringing fruit, I believe Ben was bringing chips and Ethan’s on drinks so we’re all set!”

The three caught up on everything they hadn’t already told each other until the next person arrived, this time being Ben, a plastic Woolworths bag in one hand and boombox in the other. “Who missed me?”

Kat and Tara smiled at each other and ran over to him, hugging him in turn and taking his things from him to place beside Kat’s, the chips getting thrown down on the picnic blanket they’d set up, and Ben walked over to Christian and clapped him on the back before they hugged.

“So, what’s everyone been up to?” Ben asked, but before anyone could answer Abigail and Ollie came up the hill, waving at the group. Once again the girls took off to hug them each, the boys waiting for them to come up to the group to do anything.

Now the entire group, minus Ethan, was there they started to set themselves up on the picnic blanket, spreading out the food and drinks and finding places to sit and get comfortable, spreading themselves out as much as possible to soak up the sun (Kat and Ben especially, having spent most of the month in the harsh winter of the states).

“So we’re waiting on Ethan then?” Abigail questioned, looking over to Kat.

“Oh, but is there any other way?” She joked, and everyone laughed. “Seriously though, I don’t actually know where he is. He hasn’t been home at all in the days I’ve been here.”

“Where is he then?” Ollie asked.

“I don’t know, probably someone’s couch. I think he’s putting off being in the same house as the parentals as long as possible, and I can’t blame him really. Although Natasha does now he’ll be here today so he’ll be expected home from now.”

As if on cue, Ethan walked up the hill, arms wide and outstretched. Kat grinned and she felt herself well up the tiniest bit. She didn’t realise just how much she missed him until he was standing in front of her. She got up and ran over, throwing herself at him as soon as he was in reach. “I’ve missed you,” She said, wiping her eyes behind his head.

“I’ve missed you too Kitty Kat, it’s been a while,” He sighed.

They pulled apart and joined the group on the blankets just as Christian brought over the food he barbequed, placing it in the middle of everyone, throwing down a loaf of bread before sitting next to Tara and slinging an arm over her shoulders.

“So, Christmas plans?” He started, gesturing around the circle as everyone piled their paper plates with food.

“Well, we’ll be spending it at home with our parents. Natasha knows you’re here by the way Ethan, so you’re coming home tonight,” Kat said, rolling her eyes as Ethan slumped slightly (Not that she could blame him, because she was being driven crazy herself).

“Christmas Eve I’ll be here because there’s a performance on that night and then I’ll be at my mum’s Christmas Day, and then Boxing Day I’m going up to Brisbane to see dad and Paige,” Abigail said in between bites of sausage.

“I’m doing the performance and then going over to my parent’s place, nothing too exciting,” Ollie shrugged.

“Yeah same,” Ben nodded, “But I’ll probably volunteer at the hospital a little bit of Christmas Eve, dress up as Santa and give presents to some of the kids there.”

“That’s sweet Ben,” Tara smiled.

He shrugged, brushing it off. He didn’t want to get into it too deeply. “What about you?”

“We’re going back to the farm,” Tara said quietly, looking down at her lap.

Kat caught on instantly and smirked, giving a sideways glance to Christian. “We, huh?” She asked, her smile only growing.

“Yep,” Tara mumbled, blushing. Kat laughed out loud, rolling her eyes when Christian gave her a look. “I didn’t say anything.”

They finished their food and ate the cupcakes Kat brought for dessert, playing frisbee and running around the hill until they decided just sitting down was a better idea instead. It was a warm day, a solid thirty degrees, and none of them had the energy they used to back in school, despite that being only three years ago. Some were tired from flights, others were tired because of constant dancing and performing, others just because they were tired.

So when Kat started complaining that she was getting dizzy, she still wasn’t quite adjusted to the warmth of Sydney yet, hadn’t drunk anything more than a sip out of her cup of cordial and after second year her blood pressure had been all over the place which leads to the occasional random spells of dizziness, Ethan made her sit down and they decided it was a good time to start the kris kringle.

“Everyone brought their gifts, right? Because if you didn’t this is going to be a problem,” Kat asked from behind her cup. Organizing kris kringle over the internet had been a hassle, but in the end, they managed to get it done.

Everyone nodded and gifts were exchanged, everyone ending up with something sweet and sentimental and ironically very similar to each other's before they packed up and went across the street to get ice cream, having not been in a long time (It was Christmas, time for a treat!)

And as they sat on the bench staring out at the harbour, everything clicked back into place. Their lives were hectic, busy and stressful and overwhelming, but when they were all back together in the one place again it felt as if all of that melted away. When they were together they didn’t have to worry about dancing or crazy schedules, cameras or assignments or students. The only thing they thought about was each other and everything they had to catch up on after being apart for so damn long.

And Christmas was to thank for bringing them together again.

**Author's Note:**

> Uploaded a day late because my heart condition decided last night was a good night t play up.


End file.
